During the Second World War Joe was stationed in England, where he visited Balkan Sobranie and made a deal with them to sell Balkan canned by them in London and labelled as Best, exclusively. I can find nothing wrong with any aspect of this blend, if in stock constantly it would be my every day/ all day smoke. If I had to choose but one tobacco this would be it. Joe made a similar agreement with GBD, and became the largest distributor of that pipe in the world. Very nuanced, cool and even burning to the bottom of the bowl, but unless you just have to see for yourself or just have to have it for your collection, you probably shouldn't waste your time. My choice back in the 70's was the 759 more than the white. Almost no sweetness, the olive notes tasted rancid, and the latakia was so muted as to be undetectable. Part of that is that I've missed the glory days of Sobranie. Anyway, back to the smoke at hand. Like most germain produced tobaccos sobranie dries to a certain point in a rather short time, and I find 20-30 minutes brings it to a nice moisture level, being slightly dry but having that oily texture. The flavors are deep and I really can't do justice in words how great the aroma is, both from the tin and the smoke, just exquisite. The above review doesn't cover the current version. The job ended before I did. I don't know any of the ingredient ratios, but I was told that the ratios changed every year to compensate for seasonal changes in the individual ingredients' strength and taste. The quality of the tobacco is excellent. Then Gallaher produced this blend until the mid-2000s. Mine was from a Gallagher 50g pouch. For those who like how the Latakia played with the Turkish, and both were supported by Virginias, smoke either GLPease's Westminster, or Cornell & Diehl's 968R (Red Odessa). It's a "Turkish cigarette" (Oriental blend) which means there's nothing in it but Oriental tobacco. No other tobacco I've ever smoked had so many simultaneous flavors going on, where you could taste and smell each one, yet still experience the balanced whole. Very fine shag (described as ribbon but is much more fine than most) cut in long strands. : the above description is not an unattainable, sentimental concoction born of distorted, rosy memory: it is as accurate as I could make it. Since our culture today is one of over-blown expectations and manufactured exclusivity I was a tad sceptical. No pipecleaner needed during the smoke. The fine ribbon cut needs some airing out. We opened this tin of tobacco at the Chicago Show and laid a portion out on a newspaper to dry a bit. I am puzzled about availability. All tobacco is made the old fashioned way. Afterwards, it loaded nicely and lit without trouble. In that one, the smoky, woody, earthy Cyprian Latakia is the lead component, but lacks the depth and mustiness of earlier productions, and little less is here than before. I've never seen a tobacco change so much even from year to year (maybe just the Dunhill 965 did). It's similar to Sasieni, just the balance of the blend is more harmonious. I feel it can be smoked anytime of the day accompanying many pleasurable activities be it reading a novel, fly fishing, walking the dogs, even after cigars and cask strength single malts. A LEGEND. If this was still available,I'd smoke it at least three time's a day.It must be around 30 year's since I first tried it & loved it!Recently a friend sent me some from the USA & it was like being reunited with your best & favourite friend that you have lost track of for many year's. We used words like ?ephemeral? It smells like sandlewood incense! Easily qualifies as a "five" star blend IMHO, of course!! I prefer it in the truck on a road trip, or in the evening sitting in my smoking chair. Not much piquant, pretty monochrome. I was young and callous and therefore felt that this blend was very harsh. The smell is definately english/balkan in nature. The room note is unique. I have smoked quite a few BS "matches" and none come close to replicating this blend. The sad part is that this tobacco is no more. Finally got some, opened it up looked and smelled fantastic. I wish I could, but that just ain?t happenin?. Somehow, with all of that, it managed a very pleasant room note. The first time I tried this tobacco was recently; it was a 6 year old 50g packet that had been well kept. When he passed, I was notified by his widow that I had been left his cellar and pipe collection. The taste is medium. No. Everything was perfectly balanced and smooth. Max: $ 30 . Please let me know: pearsond -at- odsgc.net. I can easily believe they were every bit as great as their reputation claims. The yenidje seems to have been the same in all versions. This is a tobacco that evolved quite nicely as you progressed with you smoke, never got dull or sour. He figures these tins are from the late 1980's early 1990's. Personally I've never smoked that real old version and I think there was not so much wrong with the pouch version. I tried the over priced ebay offerings of Vintage Sobranie mixtures and was delighted but it was aged so much that it dried out (So it wasnt as good as my first experiences with this great tobbaco mixture. The scarcity of Balkan Sobranie has elevated it to mythical status, which is just a bit over-doing it IMO. Majority of medium brown leaf, with specs of bright Va and black dark fired. A great smoke. Is it back in production or is this old stock? It is a lost age. You must log in or register to reply here. Under no circumstances did it live up to everything I have heard and read all this time, unless it is not the same blend any more. It's deeply came to me with amazing satisfaction. The cut is comprised very thin ribbons that are a little too moist, but given the cut, it dries quickly. Four stars, because of its good quality and its history. I hope that I hear something of it.. Not sure what to make of this. The latakia and yenidje play an excellent accompaniment, and all the flavors balance beautifully. It was all I'd hoped it would be and so much more! The smoky latakia was always there, but kind of pushed into the background by the orientals. They perfected Sobranie (which simply means ?parliament? I need to first say that below, Leiconnsel's review must be the gold standard for all reviews on this amazing blend. I'm impressed by the quality vs. price. Ran out in the late 80's. Once lit, I walked back through the cloud of smoke that had been produced and of course, a rush of great memories came back to me. After losing one of my 80s pouches to mold, I've now jarred all of them up in Mason jars in the basement and sealed them up tight. The 1990s and later versions have drier in taste than it was in the 1980s, due to the decrease in the red Virginia, which disappeared by the mid-1990s. copyright intellectual property of the reviewer and STC Holdings LLC and may not be
This was one of the first pipe-tobaccos that I really enjoyed on all levels, and, naturally, it was the pipe-tobacco everyone else hated. The smoke intensifies through the bottom part of the bowl, with the low notes coming as a nice contrast to the bright sourness of the first light. http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/109613-homemade- balkan-sorbanie-original-mixture.html. We will never sell or use your personal information for anything other than supporting your account, A.J. I will endeavor to keep this easy smoking, great tasting blend stockpiled from now on. It was to me simply unique. I enjoy this but enjoy other English tobaccos better. I actually prefer it over Sobranie.. 3 Balkan Supreme. I could tell it was loaded with my beloved Syrian Latakia and something else I might have tasted just the barest hint of in Balkan Sasieni, probably the Yenidje. I think I'll pack another bowl! No bite whatsoever. 10/12/07 ? If you smoke yourself you will not notice that but people around you will utter their displeasure. The smell is very unusual but pleasant at the same moment. Varia: Regarding lady nicotine you can notice that you are dealing with an "elder" tobacco. Why on earth did they stop selling this stuff in America? Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco & if I could even come close to another blend that was as tasty as the BSOM, I'd be a happy camper for sure. First: I never really imagined smoke the legendary The Balkan Sobranie. O.k., whatever you say. And then, pure bliss. Super clean taste. Mid-bowl: Aah! Man oh man oh man! This spectacular blend stands on top of the rostrum of the Hall of Fame, together with famous 759, and only few others. I am still smoking it occasionally, out of tins remaining from the 70's through the 90's. If you try this, the best thing to do is open the tin, put it in a jar and introduce air every so often(read once per day) for a couple of weeks. I open one of my remaining stock every 10 years and will savor each bowl over the next few months. By clicking on the 'Email Me' link you are signing up for a One-Time Alert to be notified when this product's comes back in stock. Almond butter, butter cream frosting, meringue, brown bread, plum pudding, candied fruit, pinot noir, armagnac. This is perhaps the most interesting review thread on here, dedicated as it is to a legend rather than to anything that still exists. It is considered as The Holy Grail of Pipe Tobacco! 5 years from now, a tin of this stuff will be as sought after as the old stuff. Questions, or to order by phone: 888-689-6876. Very rich complex flavors.. Worth every penny! 320 N McPherson Church Rd Fayetteville NC 28303. Sure, a truly faithful representation would cost a lot, but what a ready market in the curious, and in anyone else who wanted to smoke heaven to the extent his budget permitted. Finally, with my Sobranie blended to my satisfaction I jarred it and set out enough to fill my rather large Meerqueen bowl. Ill see how it grows on me. I can't describe it to you - I'm not a wordsmith. Ill post a screenshot of the tin as its listed on the site. It is a quite good tobacco, which to me ranges somewhere in the medium spectrum of things, occasionally jumping up to full strength but never settling there. I remember it being leathery and spicy, not my cup of tea at the time. Current Stock: Decrease Quantity: Increase Quantity: Add to Wish List. Put my name on the list to try the new one out. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Its hard not to look at the whole ball of wax and not say that this was one of best blends ever made. 400 (closer, but not close enough). I rarely smoke now. What I wanted to do is to see if this tobacco lived up to my memory of it. A wonderful combination of light body, full flavor and tobacco "goodness". They all have a little bit of the same taste, something typical Dunhill. I shall give you my evaluation in a few days need I say more about the experience of the first bowl this morning. More recently Balkan Sobranie has reappeared, produced by S. F. Germain for persons having the legal right to the Sobranie name. Its moderately smooth with a very consistent, mildly sweet and savory, lightly floral, very grassy flavor. A weak version of the original from the 70's, 60's and before that. I had heard, and I thought they were exagerated. Watch City's "Nor'easter" (Bulk by the Ounce) Watch City Tobacco Co. $5.49 Named for the infamous New England Winter . It was a little dry so I had to add a little humidor to revive it. This blend is the peak for me: 10+ out of 10! Quite frankly, this tobacco is much better than I remembered. Middleton Pipe Tobacco
The tobacco presents a fine white ash when burnt. So J.F. But. That includes, Sutliff, Black House, and even Blue Mountain. As another old codger, I am grateful for Leiconnsel's review below on this truly classic tobacco. Either of these methods do wonders in bringing forward the depth early in the bowl, which is otherwise experienced more toward the bottom. But with the addition of straight cyprus Latakia about 33% seems to do the trick a very palatable smoke can be produced this is my tobacco. A very, very smooth English. This is not present in the taste, but it stays in the room note from match to the end. The original Balkan Sobranie is the holy grail of pipe tobacco, and when even its subsequent, inferior versions garner four stars from virtually every reviewer in these pages, it deserves more than a few words from an old codger who's never found an acceptable substitute. It just takes over the senses. Not everyone appreciated the room aroma. Never a dull or harsh moment, I savor every sip from the pipe. Dunhill 965, Standard Medium, and London were in the same range, but smoked quite differently. IF you can obtain it. I myself reproduced the old artwork (tin and insert-card) and e-mailed that to Arango and Germain. This is a review about the 2011 made by Germain Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture: Sometimes a product that is no longer available becomes legendary. Joe had some sort of preferred agreement with Charatan, I believe, and also sold lots of Dunhills. Now it seems to follow the path outlined by Balkan Sasieni, since it looks like that more and more: same cut, same colour, almost same taste. Really good stuff excellent flavor & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. For starters, I guess it goes without saying that I don?t really smoke this regularly. Master blender Russ Ouellette was the hands-down winner, and this is his championship mixture: Black House, comprising a variety of tobacco for a complex English blend. Almost as if someone had tossed some diamond dust into the tin and shook it up. I do hope they reintroduce the 759 as I would be more intersested in it, but they have done a fine job with this. I fell in love with it immediately, my stable of english blends are rather limited since I reach for it only when in the mood for Latakia which is about once or twice a week, I have to add that this is a blend, not a latakia orgy which really agreed with me. It is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured. Taste of Virginia was somewhat subtle but in good manners, any stronger taste would, in my opinion, interfere with the Latakia and spoil that special feeling. Remember that not all of the tobaccos available back then are available now. It was an occasional treat, like the driest gin. It's a slow burning, cool and dry smoke with an incense like aroma, very smooth. & Conditions | DMCA Last year a friend picked up some pouches from Japan: the tobacco was good, but a pale shadow of its glorious former self. The balance of Virginias, Orientals & Latakia: favors the Orientals. Good smoke! The flavor is very deep and rich and burns to a clean white ash. |Radio Show Most importantly,unlike many other "Balkan" blends this one has "real" depth. Won't bite or get harsh. I've been at it for about 3 weeks to revive the Balkan as it was dryer then the Gobi desert, but I had good faith as the smell of the tobacco was really good and strong. I have about 1.5 ounces left and it will only be smoked with good friends. None came close to the White Tin with the neat wagon on the front of the tin. 'But none' have even come mildly close in anyway-as far as I am concerned. I am however glad I got a pouch for the sake of having tried it, but I doubt I'll go hunting for another pouch in the future. It is smooth but not overly so. Not particularly heavy on Latakia. Tin appearance of black, dark brown and medium dark leaf comprise this magical blend. I don't mind the premium prices this blend commands; it's worth it. Rocky Mountains USA but I'm an Irishman at heart. Militaire, and his masterpiece, the original, Collector-sized Cognac (#9621), made exclusively of Greek briar (as were Charatans). Unflavored black Cavendish also bulk from "PW&W". This is what a pipe tobacco is supposed to be! Pease Caravan. This was an open secret at the store by the '60s, and many's the two, four or eight ounce can of Our Best Blend we opened and found inside the Balkan Sobranie rice paper or card stock insert. Original Review 12-25-11 This review is for the newly released J.F. |Join BSOM brings me back to the mid 70's. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this legendary blend, and I just had to do a review. Similar Blends: Ashton's Artisan, Peterson Balkan Delight, Old Ironsides.. Both generate wonderful clouds of leather and oak, and upset the women. Product: Balkan Sobranie Balkan Sobranie 50g, Just a few hours after the e-mail, I miss it again, that only after a few hrs of being available it's again sold out Tobaccos Indian Outlaw (Virginias and Cavendish) Rated 5.00 out of 5 This is a fine tobacco. So I'm writing what I think I recall here. Then I happened on a shop in the Rockies while I was on assignment there. To my suprise I received some 5g sample pouoches, some old stuff of no significant meaning, 2 tins of Dunhill 965 murray's and a 50g pouch of Balkan Sobranie. Won't bite or get harsh. These packets, though lacking any dating, were "Made in the United Kingdom" and were imported by (the now defunct) James B. Russell, Inc. of Upper Saddle River, NJ. I bewailed the last tin in my Weed Store, sold to an undeserving oik who wanted to try 'Sumfin' new. Noooo idea, I've never smoked that one like I said before. This stuff tasted so good in fact, it makes me ponder; How does a tobacco blend that tastes this good, be made without a topping or flavor additive? Gawaith's Commonwealth is supposed to be 50%-50% Virginia-latakia and is not caked. But having the rights is 1 thing, bringing out the tobacco on the market is something veeeery different. Balkan Sobranie is, perhaps, the most legendary pipe tobacco on the market. It is not really bad, but something got lost in the transition. Unfortunately, there was no Original Mixture. Currently made by Germain in UK. Pleasant smoky aroma, with a slight odor of burnt sugar. Supremely rich and dense in flavor, yet as light as a souffle. I have smoked it many times since, but it never became part of my standard repertory. I have exceptions to all of the above. in the lid of the old Balkan Sobranie, retracting it from the lip and reclosing the can, thus piercing the inner tin lid, the escaping hiss was divine. As for flavorits ok. A wonderful smoke. It lights well, and burns fairly slowly as is typical for latakia/oriental blends. . 5 This is one of the greats. So, I finally opened the tin and took my time burning through it. And I see no difference after the update and stuff. (50 Grams) Packaging: Tin Limit One Tin Per Customer Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. Nunca esta disponible, pero es de lo mejor que nunca jamas he probado, un equilibrio y sabor casi perfecto a un precio correcto. So the turkish varieties did it, fine. Its available at pipesandcigars. Lots of moisture. July 01, 2020. Of course now it's a matter of reviewing the pouched version by Gallahers (Imperial?) Seems all the latakia smokers I know in person prefer Balkan Sasieni to Sobranie - insofar as the contemporary blends are concerned. The quality of the tobacco is very high. This one is smooth and bold with good sourness from the orientals and slight smoke from the Latakia. There was lots of relighting. but still smooth. The whole pouch seemed like a big pouch of black cav. It's just really hard to find. It is my understanding that the version that I was smoking was not the quality of tins sold in the 1970's. It was a creamy, well rounded smoke with the perfect balance of Latakia, Virginias and Oriental tobacco. If this is the case and the viewpoint hasn't been romanticized too much, I can see why this was a Hall of Fame blend as even the era that I smoked was excellent. or Best Offer +$5.40 shipping. So with that in mind, I find the new Original Mixture to have the same creamy/savory quality of the 90's mixture. You could taste the latakia and orientals, but they were not ove rstated. If you ever get to try this blend, don't rush past savoring the pouch aroma! Packing first with the gravity technique, and finishing off with a medium pack. After having smoked Rattray's Black Mallory, Pease Caravan, Renaissance and Samarra, and Esoterica's Penzance, I now understand the difference between a Balkan and an English. A few pouches from the mid-nineties survive and I hope they keep well. So many talented blenders out there these days who have put their spin on it and have done well! Leaves the bowl clean and dry, and leaves a clean refreshed smoky palate. The cut was rather coarse and zigzagy, not quite a proper ribbon cut, and the tin note was tangy, sort of fermented, because of the orientals. 'Perfection' I have tried many different brand's over the year's,that claim to be a near perfect copy. Buttery is a nice description. Joe worked closely with GBD on developing new shapes, e.g., #263 extra long Canadian, the ?glass-blasted? To this is added a large quantity of fiery, tenebrific, real, SYRIAN latakia, all of it held together by the background?and it is very much a background?of red Virginia. The new pouched version of Original, while good, is vastly inferior to both 759 and Original of old: not as rich, and sometimes a bit too pungent and harsh, a bit out of balance. A year later in 1966, I graduated to a curved Briar pipe and the Sobranie Original Mixture. And yesss, halfway the bowl the oriental tobaccos (I think Kavalla) are coming to the front. It comes pretty wet out of the tin. This is probably the best English/Balkan type tobacco I ever had and I can only wonder if I will ever smoke it again. The other flavors always floated above it, with sweet and spicy notes. It's different, actually, in its deepness, due to different oriental leaves and the different proportions of the components. Sorry, persons under the age of 18 cannot use this site. Very minimal relights, burns down to a fine, dark gray ash. Here this rare feature stretches and completes the finish.For everything else polished and majestic that Balkan Sobranie displays; this is the one virtue that crystallises the experience and it and sets it apart. I remember this stuff from back when it was cool to smoke a pipe. I stumbled onto it in the late 1950's, having started as a punk kid with drugstore blends like Mixture 79 (I am embarrassed to admit). The pipe smoking market appears to be becoming larger thus the time was right for a new version, a new "vintage" of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. Our Little River, SC showroom, Low Country Pipe & Cigar, is open 10am-7pm US/Eastern Monday - Saturday at 2 Hwy 90 East, Little River SC, 29566. Initial Flavor: Pungently sweet! The tobacco is a very different experience than I expected. 1 in stock. On opening the pack I was greeted by the well known Latakia scent, followed by sweetish notes of Virginia and the last came to my attention the Turkish tobacco, very much similar to cigarette tobacco. Usually one tamp and relight. Shopping Options No filters applied. Very evenly cut short ribbon pieces, and a bit of dust at the bottom which I assume is from being dried out for a period of time. The sweetness is there, the smoothness is there, the complexity is impressive, the Latakia is not overwhelming. It's clear to me that smoked fresh this is no lightweight English/balkan. Composition: The composition is that of the pouch version and the '80's Gallaher version. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. Not sweet, but not really bitter like some oriental-heavy blends are. Trough the bowl the mixture burned well, did not have to relight my pipe at all except after some tamping which was necessary after some half bowl was gone to ashes. I guess I'll just keep trying but i t very frustrating for those of us who haven't gotten to try these blends. If you have a chance to try some, by all means, do it. The Virginias offer some grass and hay, a little dark fruit, and a hint of citrus. For some reason, this seems to be listed twice here, so this review is the same as the Sobranie of London entry. The tobacco for what it is worth did seem a bit dry (just the way I like it). None have answered, though many are excellent. I removed the cake of tobacco and set out to re-hydrate it thus: Placed in a kitchen type strainer (sieve) over a pot of boiling water for a few moments the tobacco softened. Balkan Sobranie $ 30.00. As the tobacco rose on the initial light and one tamped it with the index finger and relit, all the wonderful, contradictory adjectives began to pertain. The first cigarette I ever smoked was a Sobranie Black Russian, one of the great looking black ones with a gold tip.